Doc faces neglect charge in baby cure

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Balurghat, March 27: The father of a two-month-old boy has lodged a police complaint against a child specialist at the district hospital here for negligence in treatment that caused serious infection to the baby’s right leg.

Tapas Das, a resident of Milansangha Para and employee of a private transport company here, filed the complaint against Achintya Kumar Biswas at the Balurghat police station last night.

Das said his wife, Bulbuli, had given birth to their son at the district hospital on February 4.

“My son was admitted to the Sick Newborn Care Unit at the hospital as he was underweight and he was being treated by Biswas. My son was in the SNCU for 16 days and on February 21, the doctor said the baby had developed acute respiratory problems and he needed ventilation urgently. The paediatrician told me that there was no ventilator at the district hospital and referred the baby to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri,” said the father.

Das alleged that he had been misled by Biswas when the latter had said the baby needed ventilation urgently.

“I came to know from the doctors at the NBMCH that my son had actually developed an infection in the veins of his right leg and it was caused when the paediatrician in Balurghat had pushed needles in the leg to create a channel.”

“I have lodged a complaint with police as there was clear negligence on the part of the doctor in Balurghat and he made an attempt to mislead us,” he added.

After 10 days, doctors at the NBMCH referred the baby to the Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital in Calcutta, as they couldn’t cure the infection. After the treatment at NRS for almost three weeks, the child was brought back home in Balurghat three days ago.

Das said he was moving to Calcutta once again with the child tonight, as there was no improvement in his condition. “I have been told by doctors in Calcutta that if the infection is not controlled, my son’s leg will have to be amputated. I have already incurred a cost of over Rs 50,000. I will also move the consumer court against the doctor demanding compensation,” he said.

A doctor attached to the district hospital here said on condition of anonymity that the baby was suffering from an infection of the veins on the right leg clinically known as thrombophlebitis.

“The veins develop blood clots and it is very painful. If the problem persists, there is a need for an operation and there is no surgeon available here,” said the doctor.

While the superintendent of the district hospital, Buddhdeb Mondal, refused comment, attempts to contact the spokesperson for the state health department, additional director of health services, Asit Biswas, in Calcutta proved futile.